1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floor system, and in particular, to a portable floor system which is quickly assembled and disassembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A long-standing need exists for a portable floor system that may be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled over an existing floor. This is particularly true in locations which are used for multiple purposes requiring different types of floors. For example, many hotels, recreation centers, banquet halls, and conference centers desire a carpet or tile floor covering for most of their uses, but also hold occasional dances requiring a hard, smooth, wood-like surface. These facilities, and others like them, require an interchangeable floor system that can be switched between different surfaces, depending upon varying needs.
It is necessary that a portable floor be easy and quick to install, provide a secure and level dance surface, and be able to withstand the exertion of substantial forces from people walking or dancing on it. The sections comprising the portable floor will also be preferably joined such that the method of joining leaves no joining apparatus visible from the exterior in the assembled floor. Thus, it is preferred that no external screws, bolts or other fasteners be used. The absence of such parts is preferred on both aesthetic and functional grounds, as the dance floor will appear to be more permanent and attractive if no exposed fasteners are evident, and there is less likelihood of injury from tripping or stumbling over exposed or loosened parts.
It is also preferred that the dance floor be quickly and easily installed and removed, as well as being easily portable. Therefore, the floor should be able to be installed with minimal parts and labor. On disassembly, the resulting floor sections should be compact and lightweight such that they may easily be transported and stored.
A further preferred feature is that the dance floor be constructed in a manner and using materials which may withstand the rigorous wear and tear of frequent use. Also, the portable floor should include sloping edge trim to merge as smoothly as possible with the underlying surrounding permanent floor surface, which is often a carpeted area.
In order to address this need for interchangeable floors, various portable floor systems have been developed, most designed to create a surface suitable for dancing over an underlying surface unsuitable for dancing. A number of different designs have been proposed and produced. Typically, these portable floors have included individual panels joined in one manner or another along their edges. These joining methods have included bolts, screws, tongue-and-groove joints cut running along the panel sides, and various interlocking sections which require tools for assembly and disassembly. However, most of these dance floors exhibit significant disadvantages in use, construction and installation.
United Kingdom Patent Application GB 2161514A, issued to Cova, provides a dance floor joined by an interlocking lattice network and beams extending from the edge of each separate floor panel. This design has a number of drawbacks, including projecting edges along the sides of the dance floor, a complicated and expensive construction, and a relatively thick cross section.
Other prior portable dance floors include panels which simply fold up rather than disengage from one another. A typical example of such a floor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,241, issued to Max. This form of dance floor has the significant drawback of being limited to a size which can easily fold and be carried as one piece. Therefore, only extremely small dance floors may be created. Other inventors have attempted to use interlocking sides, often with some sort of "tongue and groove" joining method. However, those designs using tongue and groove joints have had draw backs, including difficulty in assembly and disassembly, and sliding of pieces with respect to one another along their edges. These floors also require complementary lock devices which add to the complexity and cost of manufacture and require additional set up and take down time. In addition, these lock devices may often disengage or malfunction, resulting in floor sections coming apart and an unsafe floor.
It can be seen then, that a new and improved portable floor is needed which is durable and lightweight. In addition, such a floor should provide for secure attachment of adjacent floor sections without requiring complicated locking mechanisms. Such a floor should also be easy to assemble and disassemble with a smooth transition to the underlying surface. The present invention addresses these as well as other problems associated with portable floor systems.